Flexible liquid containers



May 1, 1956 H. G. HAwKlNs ET AL 2,743,752

FLEXIBLE LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Jan. l1, 1954 United States Patent O 2,743,752 FLEXIBLE LIQUID CONTAINERS Harvey Grinstead Hawkins, deceased, late of Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, England, by Eileen Jenny Hawkins, administratrix, Wightwick, Wolverhampton, and Thomas Trevor Tudge, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, England, assignors to Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, a corporation of Great Britain Application January 11, 1954, Serial No. 403,252

Claims priority, application Great Britain November 22, 1950 2 Claims. (Cl. 150-8) This invention relates to the attachment of a fitting such as a vent pipe, an inspection cover, or a contents gauge to the apertured wall of a flexible liquid container which may be manufactured from natural or Asynthetic rubber and this application is a continuation-inpart of our co-pending application, now abandoned, which was led on the 20th of November, 1951 under Serial No. 25 7,35 4 and with the title Improvements in or Relating to Flexible Liquid Containers.

According to the present invention we provide a fluidtight closure between an ancillary rigid fitting and the apertured wall of a flexible container for liquid which comprises a thickened resilient rim adjacent the edge of the aperture integral with the resilient wall of the exible container, a rigid member clampingly engaging said fitting, the clamping surfaces of the member and the fitting being shaped complementary to the external surface configurations of the thickened rim in contact with the clamping surfaces so that the clamping surfaces will engage the thickened rim about substantially all of its external surface with the exception of that portion of the thickened rim which is integral with the wall of the container, said clamping member and said fitting being clamped together to place the thickened rim under compression and means being provided for limiting the compression of the thickened rim by the clamping member and the fitting.

Conveniently, the means for limiting the compression comprises an abutment on the rigid member adapted to engage the fitting when the thickened rim is only partially compressed.

Since the thickened resilient rim is only partially compressed, there is no tendency for the material of the rim to flow outwardly of the confining space as may happen when the material is compressed solid. Consequently, there is little likelihood of the closure breaking down and tearing away from the fitting. The thickened rim does, in fact, retain the greater part of its resiliency.

An advantage of positively controlling the amount of compression resides in the fact that an unskilled workman can assemble the closure without destroying the resiliency of the rim by tightening the closure more than is desirable.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure l shows a cross-sectional elevation through the stud of a closure, formed between a flexible container and a plate-type fitting, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional elevation through the stud of a closure, formed between a flexible container and a plate-type fitting, in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 3 shows the stud of the closure of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a plan view of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the wall 1 of a exible container has a thickened resilient rim 3 adjacent the edge of an aperture with which a fitting is to be associated. The rim forms a substantially rectangular- 2,743,752 Patented May l, 1956 icc;

sectioned beaded edge. A plate-type ttting 5 is secured to the container by means of a rigid clamping ring 7. The clamping ring 7 is provided with a channel which is generally complementary to that part of the thickened rim which it is adapted to receive. The clamping ring is provided with a series of equally-spaced blind holes which are threaded internally and screw-threaded studs 9 are associated with the blind holes. The studs 9 pass through holes in the thickened rim, and through holes in the plate` type fitting, the ring and the fitting being drawn together by nuts l1 threaded on the exposed portions of the studs.

The clamping ring 7 is provided with an upstanding abutment 13 which is adapted to engagel the under surface of the plate-type fitting when the rim is only partially compressed.

in this manner, the thickened rim cannot be compressed solid as a result of overtightening.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the Wall 15 of a flexible container has a thickened resilient rim 17 adjacent the edge of an aperture with which a fitting is to be associated. The rim forms a substantially rectangularsectioned beaded edge. A plate-type fitting 19 is secured to the container by means of a rigid clamping ring 21. The clamping ring 21 is provided with a channel which is generally complementary to that part of the thickened rim which it is adapted to receive. The clamping ring is provided with a series of equally-spaced blind holes which are threaded internally and screw threaded studs 23 are associated with the blind holes. Each stud 23 comprises screw-threaded terminal portions separated by a wider central body portion as shown in Figure 3. One terminal portion is threaded into the blind hole, the wider central body portion is disposed within a cylindrical hole, its internal diameter being only slightly larger than the external diameter of the central body portion of the stud, and the other terminal portion passes through a hole in the plate-type fitting. The ring and fitting are drawn together by nuts 25 threaded on the exposed terminal portions of the studs.

The height of the central body portion is. arranged to be slightly less than the thickness of the rim portion and the shoulders of the central body portion of the stud are arranged to abut against the clamping ring and the fitting when the rim is only partially compressed.

We claim:

l. A fluid tight closure between an ancillary rigid fitting and the apertured wall of a flexible container for liquid which comprises a thickened resilient rim adjacent the edge of the aperture integral with the resilient wall of the flexible container, a rigid member clampingly engag ing said fitting, the clamping surfaces of the member and the fitting being substantially complementary in shape to the external surface configurations of the thickened rim in contact with the clamping surfaces so that the clamping surfaces will engage the thickened rim about substantially all of its external surface with the exception of that portion of the thickened rim which is integral with the wall of the container, said clamping member and said fitting being clamped together to place the thickened rim under compression, and means being provided for limiting the compression of the thickened rim by the clamping member and the fitting.

2. A iiuid-tight closure as defined in claim l wherein said compression limiting means comprises a stud secured between said rigid fitting and said rigid member so as to clamp the same together, said stud including an enlarged central portion extending through said resilient rim, said enlarged portion having transverse surfaces arranged to abut cooperating surfaces on said rigid fitting and said rigid member respectively to limit compression of said resilient rim.

(References on following page) y Y 3 References Cited in the le of this patent 2,257,941 N TED ATES PATENTS 2,378,467 U I ST 2,380,866 787,298 Keller Apr. 11, 1905 `41,335,467 Traynor Mar. 30, 1920 2,243,796 Fay et al. 'May 27, 1941 120,088

4V Ellis Oct. 7, 1941 De Kiss June 19, 1945 Overbeke July 31, 1945 FOREIGN vPATENTS Great Britain Oct. 25, 1918 

1. A FLUID TIGHT CLOSURE BETWEEN AN ANCILLARY RIGID FITTING AND THE APERTURE WALL OF A FLEXIBLE CONTAINER FOR LIQUID WHICH COMPRISES A THICKENED RESILIENT RIM ADJACENT THE EDGE OF THE APERTURE INTEGRAL WITH THE RESILIENT WALL OF THE FLEXIBLE CONTAINER, A RIGID MEMBER CLAMPING ENGAGING SAID FITTING, THE CLAMPING COMPLEMENTARY IN SHAPE TO THE FITTING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SURFACES OF THE MEMBER AND THE EXTERNAL SURFACE CONFIGURATIONS OF THE THICKENED RIM IN CONTACT WITH THE CLAMPING SURFACES SO THAT THE CLAMPING SURFACES WILL ENGAGE THE THICKENED RIM ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF ITS EXTERNAL SURFACE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT PORTION OF THE THICKENED RIM WHICH IS INTEGRAL WITH THE WALL OF THE CONTAINER, SAID CLAMPING MEMBER AND SAID FITTING BEING CLAMPED TOGETHER TO PLACE THE THICKENED RIM UNDER COMPRESSION, AND MEANS BEING PROVIDED FOR LIMITING THE COMPRESSION OF THE THICKENED RIM BY THE CLAMPING MEMBER AND THE FITTING. 